Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 1st October 2017

Special collection next Sunday for CAFOD Harvest Fast Day (Friday)

“CAFOD Fast Day is Friday 6 October.

Inspired by the prayer “We plant the seeds that one day will grow”, remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, who was murdered for trying to help the poorest people, this year the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development will be supporting subsistence farmers in El Salvador by providing them with reliable seeds to ensure a good harvest. CAFOD Fast Collection envelopes will be handed out after Masses on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October.

Just a thought. There is a story about an elderly gentleman. He had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to a very competent doctor, and he was given an amazing set of hearing aids that fully restored his hearing faculty. After a month, he went back to his doctor. The doctor was pleased: “Your hearing is perfect! Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I’ve revised my last will three times already.”

In a way, the elderly gentleman could be God and the family could contain the two sons in today’s Gospel. At certain times the family speak up close to the old man telling him what he wants to hear and sometimes what he doesn’t want to hear.

We can be that family talking to God, making decisions and then changing our minds and doing the opposite thing. We can imagine that God never finds out what actually happens, what the real person inside of us ends up doing.

We forget God sees everything we do and sees even into our hearts. He knows when we promise things without meaning them. He also understands when we have difficulty with his commandments and tell him we can’t manage to obey. He knows what the outcome will be.

Jesus asks, “Which of the two sons does the right thing”. In essence neither. He would prefer a third son who said “Yes” and did “Yes”. Could it be that God is listening and changing his will for us?

Greetings and blessings from Guildford while Fr David is away. From Fr Roy.

A huge thank you and well done to everyone who got involved with the Talents Scheme. Up to and incl. Sunday 24th September the grand total returned is £2811.25.

Our friend of the Parish Giovanni has arranged for his good friend Andrea Scarpa to play an organ recital at our Cranleigh Church on Sunday the 15th October before and after the 11am Mass, by kind permission of Fr David Osborne. Andrea Scarpa is an Organist and Director of music at the Italian Mission in Zurich Switzerland.

DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THIS EXCELLENT ORGANIST PERFORMING A VARIETY OF MUSIC FROM THE REPERTOIRE OF THE OLD MASTERS AS WELL AS THAT OF THE MODERN COMPOSERS. On Saturday 14th of October at 7.30, he will be playing at Cranleigh Parish Church by kind permission of the Rector Rev. Roy Woodhams and on Tuesday the 17th at 12.45 at Cranleigh School by kind permission of the resident Organist Mr Philip Scriven.

Wintershall Nativity Leaflet 2017 Artwork v1.pdfThe Wintershall NATIVITY will take place from 13th to 17th December and tickets can be bought from the website www.wintershall-estate.com or by calling 01793 418299. We are offering a 10% discount for the Wednesday and Thursday 7pm performances. Come and enjoy the ‘real’ Christmas story at Wintershall. Stand with shepherds in the field and see Mary arrive on a donkey. Sit in the barn where the baby Jesus lies in his manger. A timeless, memorable experience for young and old as we bring the story of Christmas to life for you.